ADVENTURES ON THE FRONTIER OF TEXAS AND MEXICO. BY CHARLES WINTERFIELD. NO. V. THERE was no member of the party who did not of course understand at once, that Bill had led Castro and his Indians back to the place where he had shot Agatone's lieutenant, and lost sight of the man with the "red on his cloak," and that Castro had taken his trail, and followed it with unerring skill to the very spot where the horse was hitched. The Indian's expressive gesture and exclamation, "That him!" had settled the matter with regard to Davis-and no further questions would have been asked, but that every one was eager to hear whether any discovery had been made concerning Agatone. Leaving Davis tied and stretched upon the ground, on the inside of the picketing, the whole party climbed the blocks, and eagerly crowded around Castro, to hear his narrative. There was a degree of mystery about the escape of the Bandit Captain which intensely excited the curiosity of these men-Davis was securely enough hampered, and they felt no apprehensions with regard to him-for Antone was gone, and there was nobody in the house or yard. The Lipan warriors came galloping up, one after another, each like a faithful sleuth-hound closely following the trail. Amidst all the clamors of questions, shouts, and oaths, with which his ears were assailed by the impatient Rangers, Castro continued perfectly impassive. He sat quietly in his saddle watching the arrival of his warriors. Each one, as he came in, would gallop up to the chief, and, with low, quick utterance and rapid gestures, seemed to be making his report-what it was none of us but Hays could understand. Perceiving that the stoical chieftain was not to be hurried, and that nothing conclusive could be got out of him until his Braves had all arrived, the Rangers became silent too, and following the eye of Castro, would watch each warrior as he appeared on the distant ridge, until he galloped up into the circle, made his report, and fell back among the crowd. The reason for this proceeding was, that Castro had scattered his warriors singly, for miles, around the place where Agatone had disappeared, with orders to find his trail, and then report to him. The men were beginning to mutter and stamp with impatience when the last warrior appeared. When he fell back Hays said, looking at the chief-" Nothing done, Castro?" He bowed his head with an abashed, humbled look, and shaking it slowly, muttered, "No! no find! Him much medicine man! Him conjur!" Where's Bill "D-n the Indians! Johnson!" shouted the Bravo. "Yes, where's Bill? Where's Bill? he's worth 'em all!" said several at once. Hays, who had been speaking in a low voice to Castro, now turned and said, "Bill is out there yet. He says we must surround Cavillo's Rancho-put some one to watch every trail leading into itwe'll catch him that way, my fellows! He'll be sneaking in to-night!" "Davis can tell," said some one, in a loud voice. 66 "Yes, he knows all about it," said Fitz-" lets quirt him until he tells." "Yes! yes!" said several; that's got to be done, Captain. We'll finish with him first!" and all together they rushed toward the stiles to get at Davis, who lay in the yard. 66 Don't spoil the edge of his nose, boys!" shouted the Bravo, laughingly. The high picket-fence had been between us and where Davis lay. I was following the crowd-a cold shudder creeping over me, as I thought of the horrid scene 1 which must ensue; for I knew he was to die, and that with fearful tortureswhen a confused roar of voices 'suddenly arose from those before, and a general headlong scramble followed-then came the shrill shriek of a woman's voice, and as I climbed the blocks of the picketing, 1 could hear, above the confused trampling and clamors, such exclamations as Kill her!" 66 Pitch her into the river!" "She let him go !" "The Mexican slut!" "In with her!" "No, no! she's a woman!" &c. I reached the top-Davis had disappeared. One of the men was dragging a woman from her hiding-place in the low thicket we have before mentioned as being in the back-yard of the Rancho, near the river bank; the rest of the party, with cries and oaths, were running to the man's assistance, and with furious imprecations laid hold of the woman, and in spite of her screams, were dragging her towards the water, when a man whom 1 recognized as the Lieutenant, sprang in among them to her rescue. In another instant the butt of a gun, laid, not lightly, across his forehead, felled him like an OX. Some one shouted, "There he is!" and two guns were fired as a figure dodged quickly behind a tree, on the top of the bluff bank on the other side of the river, and disappeared. In the momentary pause Hays threw himself among the infuriated crowd around the woman, and dragged her back as they were in the act of plunging her into the water with her hands tied. There was a fierce struggle. I had reached them by this time, and taking up the shout of Hays, "Shame! shame! she is a woman!" "You are men, no murder!" was striking, pushing, and tugging at his side, before I had time to think what it all meant. She was a woman, and they were going to drown her, was as much as I knew, or wished to know. Fitz and the Bravo came to our help. They let go the woman as the Bravo shouted, "They missed Davis ! He's in the woods! Come, he'll get away!" and jumping into the water held his gun up with one hand, and struck with the other for the bluff. Several followed him, as all would have done, had not Hays leaving the woman in my charge-set off down the river bank, calling to them to come with him to where the bank was less steep. In the breathless hurry of the preceding incidents I had only time to see and act, but now, having drawn my breath, I perceived in a moment what had occurred-for having been less excited than the rest, I had been behind and somewhat in the dark. The woman, who was shivering in an aguefit of terror, I saw, was the Mexican wife of the Lieutenant. Antone had probably informed her what was going on. Prompted by her guilty passion, she had crept up by the back way into the yard of the Rancho, and while we were engaged with Castro had cut the thongs from the limbs of Davis, who ran and had jumped into the river. The two guns were fired at him as he disappeared in the woods on the other side. The foremost men had seen her stoop in the brush, and perceiving at once that she had assisted Davis' escape, would have drowned her in their fury. Her husband who was held in great contempt, they had knocked down without ceremony when he attempted to rescue her. Feeling no particular sympathy for either of them, I'merely cut loose her hands, told her to see to her husband, and then followed after Hays. I perceived at once that his had been the proper course, for the Bravo and his men were still struggling to climb the slippery steep bank when I lost sight of them. When I caught up with Hays, I found him and his men mounting behind Castro and his warriors, who had galloped around the picketing to the river. I mounted behind a greasy, half-naked fellow, and they pushed their horses into the stream. After a deal of scrambling and splattering we reached the other bank, and stood upon the firm sod. Hays sprang to the ground, and called to us to dismount. It was arranged that Castro's warriors should gallop on in a body to cut off the fugitive's retreat to the Senora Cavillo's Rancho; while we in couples pushed our way into the thick woods. We supposed that the object of both Davis and Agatone would be to get to Cavillo's Rancho-once behind the strong gates of which they might well laugh us to scorn. The Indians on horseback would overtake Davis if he made directly for the Rancho; if not, they were to spread out their line, and watch while we beat the bush. In this way we supposed we should hardly fail to recapture him, as he had but little start. Castro himself sent his warriors on, while he dismounted, and along with Hays went to where the fellow had been last seen, to take his track and follow it up; but as this would be slow work we went ahead, trusting to chance. Fitz and myself happened to be coupled in the pursuit. For a time, as we penetrated the dense underbrush, the different parties kept in view or at least in hearing of each other. Of course we pushed on as rapidly as the nature of the ground traversed would permit, and it was not long before all other sounds than those of our own scrambles through the vines and brush died away, and we were alone in the silence of the deep woods. I felt little interest in the chase these men were driving so eagerly. It made small difference to me whether the Mongrel escaped or not. I did not wish to find him, indeed, for I should probably be compelled to shoot him in cold blood memories amidst these evening choris- Suddenly the blood rushed to the centre in a cold and shuddering revulsion, and I sprang to my feet as if a rifle-ball had struck me. Could it be real? The shrill yell of a human voice had suddenly burst upon the stillness, and been as suddenly smothered. There was a mortal agony in its tones! I looked around. Fitz had disappeared-there was no one in sight. I perceived for the first time that I was not far from the river bank. Again I heard that voice of death-like anguish-stifled into a low plaining-then bursting out again into louder and wilder shrieks of despairing terror. I had been entirely unmanned by the suddenness of the thing; but now the thought of some foul murder being done in the dark woods nerved me in an instant, and I bounded off in the direction of the sounds. I thought of Fitz-but I had heard no gun Now it was a grating burst of harsh unnatural laughter, with the sound of struggling feet, that guided me as I ran--then all was silence. I burst my way through a chaperal thicket, and came out upon the old bank of the river-and iny God! may my eyes never rest upon such another scene! A little below the level where I was standing, the body of a man (who I immediately recognized from the clothes to be Davis) writhing in the agonies of death, was suspended by the neck from the limb of a tree which leaned very far over the last bank of the river. It was moving slowly up, rising toward the limb, while the rope grated harshly over the bark, and as I stept forward I saw be neath the hairy and haggard face of Black, lit with the wild glare of maniac ferocity. With set uncovered teeth and swollen muscles, he was leaning back, tugging with the furious energy of madness at the other end of the rope by which he was slowly hoisting his victim. My blood felt as if it were freezing with horror. My first impulse was to leap down the bank upon Black, and rescue the poor wretch, when a hand upon my arm and a voice arrested me. "Well done! he has saved us the trouble!" It was Fitz. I was inexpressibly relieved-for this terrible concatenation of murder and madness had almost shaken my reason too, and I felt the need of some one near me less deeply excited than myself. Fitz took the matter with wonderful sang-froid. "I wonder how he happened over this way," he continued. "Never heard of one man's hanging another alone before! but they say madmen have the strength of seven men in them!" "For God's sake," said 1, "let's cut him down-it is too dreadful!" "Pshaw man! you're not case-hardened! It had to be done-he'd as well do it as any one else!" The maniac had by this time drawn the body up to the limb, and bringing the end of the lariat several times around a small sapling, he secured it there. Then perceiving us for the first time, he broke into that infernal hideous laugh I had heard before, and pointing with his finger to the dangling corpse, commenced leaping and tossing his body to and fro in the strangest gyrations- gnashing his teeth-then laughing again, and shouting in broken sentences too incoherently for me to understand. Suddenly his mood seemed to change. Observing us steadily for a moment, as we stood silently above him, he glanced quickly up at the body and muttered "They want it, Mary! Hush! hush honey they shant !" and slowly crouching his body, his distended eyes fixed on us with that furtive burning light in them peculiar to a panther about to spring, he crept cautiously along the leaves on his hands and knees towards us, keeping the trunks of the trees interposed, as that animal would have done when attempting a surprise. Even Fitz was terrified by this strange manœuvre, and with the instinct of the backwoodsman in all circumstances of danger, cocked his rifle. The madman was dragging after him his battered but heavy gun-barrel; which from the traces of fresh blood I saw upon it, had no doubt been used first in disabling Davis, in the same way that it was now to be used upon one or both of us. For the moment I was utterly at a loss what to do, and found my hand involuntarily clutching at the triggers of my own gun, as I watched the cold, sly, concentrated ferocity with which this worse than wild beast was nearing us for the deadly bound. The thought of shooting was only a momentary thing-that would be worse than all the horrors! I whispered hurriedly to Fitz-" Don't shoot! club your gun for Heaven's sake-we can knock him down!" The words had A scarcely passed my lips before with a wild yell the creature sprang towards us with his gun-barrel swung high in the air. I was nearest to him, and remember a blow like the falling of a tree upon me, which crushed down the parry I had attempted with my rifle barrel; and as I was reeling in the fall, a dark figure bounding past me from behind, a fiercer yell, and the struggle of many feet-and darkness rushed over my senses. Sombrero full of water dashed into my face brought me to myself. Castro, who had just administered this primitive but most effectual prescription for the cure of obliviousness, was standing over me, grinning with pleasure, though the blood was streaming down his forehead. Hays stood by him bareheaded and panting. Fitz was reclining on the leaves, looking very pale, and evidently badly hurt. The maniac, gnashing his teeth and howling fearfully, lay stretched upon his back, his limbs securely bound with a lariat. His face was wretchedly disfigured, from the severe blows it had been necessary to inflict before he could be subdued. Hays told me that he and Castro had been following the trail of Davis, and hearing the strange noises Black was making, had set off in the direction of them at a run, and had arrived just in time to see me fall, and fortunately to save Fitz, who had nobly forborne to shoot until it would have been too late, for he was staggering under the tremendous blows which the madman was dealing at him. I found that I was more stunned than seriously injured, and was on my feet very soon; the back of my head had been bleeding freely, but the hurt was not severe. was now nearly dark, and Hays fired his rifle to bring assistance. We then examined the scene of the novel execution, a part of which I had witnessed. There were evidences of a desperate struggle, and on cutting down the body of Davis, we saw that he had received several blows of the gun-barrel, which had no doubt partially disabled him, before even the desperate strength of the madman could have been sufficient to run him up unassisted. We came to the conclusion that Black, who had shown symptoms of insanity for some time before, had been driven stark mad by the excitement of the affair with the Mexican robbers; and having in some way lost his horse during the search for Agatone had been wandering about since through the woods, until It chance brought him and Davis together; and that having heard Davis' name associated with Agatone's escape during Bill's narrative, he had offered him up to appease the ghosts of his murdered family. From all that had dropped from him, it was evident the imagination that they were pursuing him, clamoring for vengeance night and day that they might be permitted to go to their graves in peace, had deranged him. That Fitz and myself had suddenly appeared to his distempered fancy, enemies who came to rob his Mary" of the victim he had sacrificed to her restless manes, was clear enough, when we remembered what he was muttering when he commenced so unexpectedly and viciously to creep upon us. light through the trees to enable him to "Black did it," said Hays. At this moment Bill's eye fell upon the figure of Black, which lay writhing to and fro with low moanings on the ground. He started as if a snake had struck him, while his eyes flamed again. "Look here, fellers, Bill Johnson don't stand this!" and before any one could interpose, or explain, he had drawn a knife from his belt, and with one long stride stood over Black, and was rapidly severing the thongs which bound his limbs. Bill, for God's sake don't!—he's raving mad--he'll knock down right and left!" said Fitz rapidly, while the party scattered on all sides." Castro's warriors now came galloping up. They reported to him the fresh trail of a horse ridden at full speed, leading into the Rancho from this direction. We were singularly puzzled to conjec- "Tarnation!" roared Bill, furiously, ture who this horseman could possibly as he assisted the madman to his feet; be. It could hardly be one of Agatone's "Yer white-livered younkers! aint these men, escaped from the fray of the morn- cow-hide strings 'nough to make a man ing, for we had taken all their horses. like Jim Black rarein' tearin' mad? They had traced this rider back to within Tie a Hunter like some chicken-stealin' a few hundred yards of where we were; sneak in the States, will yer? just for and from signs which Indians and all ex- hangin' a man, too! Pretty spot o' work! perienced trailers read with unerring pre- got any bull-neck Judges-got any weacision, they were convinced that he had zen-faced lawyers out here to swindle a passed within two hours. Hearing Hays' man's rights away, have yer? mad, is he? gun, they had dismounted, and sent on Try to serve Bill Johnson so if yer want three of their best trailers to keep the to see somebody mad. Who done this! track while they came to us. While we Knock down as many as you please, Jim were discussing this curious item of news Black-Bill Johnson's here, and old Sue." with great interest and eagerness, a deep, I heard the clicking of rifle-cocks prolonged whoop, from the direction op- around me at this. Bill patted the madposite to that by which the Indians had man heavily on the shoulder as he gave approached, announced a new comer, and him this last exhortation to avenge the in another moment the tall figure of Bill indignity which it seemed he hastily supJohnson was seen indistinctly through posed had been put upon him. Black, the faint twilight, parting the brush be- who had been standing in a sort of stufore his long strides. At his heels came por, was thoroughly roused by the friendthe three Indian trailers. "Hurrah! Îy blow, and glaring his eyes in the face here's the Old Otter-dog-he's got the of his old comrade for a moment, with a news!" shouted Fitz, feebly. "How is loud gutteral shriek sprang suddenly at it Bill?" "Who's that fellow on the his throat. Nobody interfered, and now horse?" "Got another brush to show, the stern and powerful hunter exhibited old boy?" "Come, fork over the news;" his finest traits. His iron fingers tore "Shell out, old coon!" &c., exclaimed away the frantic grasp of the madman one and another as he strode into our from his throat-then closing with him midst. Bringing the butt of his rifle care- he clasped him in the bear-hug of those fully to the ground, he crossed his hands long heavy arms. over the muzzle, leaned his chin upon strong man at any time, and inflamed as them, and while his sharp black eyes all his energies now were with the pretwinkled rapidly over the scene, the rest ternatural fires of maniac rage, it required of his face looked as if it had been cut the full exertion of all the huge strength in stone. The broad moon, which had for which Bill was remarkable to cope been up some time, streamed in sufficient with him. We looked on with intense Black was a very |